Wednesday, August 26, 2009

King Changó is back! Our band is now in rehearsals to begin performing live soon. We may have taken a break as a group. But we never stopped believing in our causes. One of these causes is the struggle to bring peace and justice to the people of Vieques, Puerto Rico.

King Changó is proud to have been involved in the movement to get the U.S. Navy out of Vieques. We were in Washington, DC in 1999 performing in front of the White House at pro-Vieques rallies. We played concerts in DC and NY to advocate for the Navy's exit for Vieques, and proudly displayed our "US Navy out of Vieques" stickers in our live shows (and on the inside of our CD, "The Return of El Santo"). We recorded the song "¡Al Rescate de Vieques!": http://www.viequeslibre.addr.com/mp3/Al%20Rescate%20de%20Vieques.mp3

While we celebrate the fact that the Navy finally left Vieques in May 2003, there is still widespread contamination and a health crisis on the island, as a result of over six decades of bombing with everything from napalm to depleted uranium.

Now that King Changó is back, we call on our friends to get involved in the cause for peace and justice for Vieques. Contact the White House and your Members of Congress. Ask them to provide for the most appropriate and modern methods for an optimal clean up and decontamination of Vieques. Ask them to immediately address the health crisis caused by the Navy in Vieques. Ask them to have th e federal agency known as the "Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry" (ATSDR) withdraw their discredited studies which absurdly alleged that there is no link between the toxins and chemicals used by the Navy and the health crisis among the people of Vieques. Please see the document below titled "Letter-writing Campaign to Help Resolve the Current Health Crisis in Vieques" and take action!

Thank you and...Stay tuned to our official blog for photos, videos, news and updates!

Letter-writing Campaign to Help Resolve the Current Health Crisis in ViequesThe people of Vieques suffer from a wide range of serious diseases due to heavy metal contamination of their island after over six decades of bombardment by the U.S. Navy with everything from depleted uranium to napalm. In 1999, residents of Vieques chose the Eaves Law Firm to represent their claims for compensation from the U.S. government. Since then, almost 8,000 victims of exposure to military toxics in Vieques have joined this lawsuit. Litigation is now pending in federal court in Puerto Rico.

In response to the litigation, the U.S. government - in representation of the U.S. Navy - has claimed "sovereign immunity", the antiquated defense that asserts "the king can do no wrong." We must demand that the Obama Justice Department abandon the use of this antiquated contrivance to thwart justice. We must demand that Viequenses be allowed their day in court.

We must also demand that the federal Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) immediately retract its fatally flawed 2002-2003 reports that erroneously claimed that there is no connection between the heavy metal contamination and the illnesses and deaths suffered on Vieques. (The ATSDR is part of the Center for Disease Control or CDC). The ATSDR studies are the cornerstone of the government's case against compensating the victims. The Eaves Law Firm urges that all its clients and other residents contact the White House and Congress immediately to ask for action on the health crisis. Sample messages are below. Please send a copy of your letters to the Eaves Law Firm: Johnjr@eaveslaw. com

Address your letters and email messages to President Obama, Congress, and the EPA:

Contact your pastors and ask them to call their clerical representatives in Washington about Vieques and call all of your contacts in media organizations.

Message for The White House – "We need help with the health situation in Vieques. The Navy created a health crisis and they need to address it. President Obama pledged to address the health situation in Vieques. The time to do so is now."

Message to Congressman Alan Grayson (D-FL) and to Congressman Steve R. Rothman (D-NJ) – "Thank you for asking t he ATSDR to reexamine the agency's public health assessments in Vieques. We need you to pressure the agency until it withdraws its prior health assessments in Vieques."

EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson – "We need you to intervene and stop the proposed burning of some 200 acres of vegetation in Vieques. This proposed burning will only add to the health crisis in Vieques by further spreading toxins and chemicals."

Resident Commisioner Pedro Pierluisi –(In English) – "We need you to make sure the requested congressional field hearings in Vieques about the health crisis and the ATSDR take place. We also need you to pressure the ATSDR until it withdraws its prior health assessments in Vieques and to ask President Obama that he fulfill his pledge to address the health situation in Vieques now.